In theory, customers and providers have the same goal of matching needs of the customers with offerings of the providers, at an agreed price. In practice, however, it may be difficult for a provider to demonstrate that available offerings are suitable and desirable for a particular customer. In particular, for example, in the context of the Internet, potential customers are free to visit websites of many different providers, and to do so quickly and anonymously. Consequently, even if a provider possesses exactly the correct offering for a particular customer, the provider may not have the time or the information necessary to demonstrate this offering to the customer.
As a result, providers may attempt, for example, to increase one or both of a time spent with each potential customer, or an amount of information known about each customer. For example, and again in the example context of the Internet, providers may ask potential customers to provide useful information, e.g., by filling out one or more registration forms that identify a name, age, gender, business, e-mail address, or other identifying information. As a potential customer spends more time at a particular website, and provides more of such identifying information, it becomes more likely that the provider may find an offering that is matched to the needs of the potential customer. In related examples, providers may ask potential customers to provide ratings or other indications of interest for current or potential offerings. Then, the provider may use recommendation systems to suggest one or more of the provider's offerings.
In these and other existing systems, however, potential customers may be hesitant to provide such information about themselves. For example, potential customers may not wish to take the time to fill out a series of questions, or to provide a rating of one or more offerings. In these and other examples, potential customers also may have concerns regarding privacy (e.g., may not wish to have their information distributed, or may not wish to receive undesired solicitations). As a result, customers may not obtain a offering that would have been beneficial, and providers may lose the opportunity to establish a relationship with one or more customers.